The dirty bastard moves in again, more aggressive this time, and his hand slides down and gropes Wren’s ass, squeezing hard.
I lose control.
I make Wren spin around, and her hand shoots out, catching the guy’s wrist. I squeeze hard, using my strength through her, and I can feel Wren trying to fight me. She wants me to stop, but I don’t care. I make her squeeze harder, and the bastard’s bones grind together.
The guy’s face twists in pain, and he tries to pull away but he can’t. Finally, he shoves Wren backward with his other hand, and she stumbles, releasing him.
“Fucking bitch! What is wrong with you?” He cradles his injured wrist.
Tasha pushes between them.
“Wren, are you okay?”
“Fine, I’m fine. I think I had too much to drink.” Her voice is shaky. “I need some air.”
She pushes through the crowd toward the exit, and some people are staring because the scene caused attention. She gets outside, and the door slams behind her.
“Fuck.”
Wren takes several deep gulps of air. Adrenaline is running wild through her system, and she yells at me in her head.
“What the fuck was that? I specifically asked you to stand down. You completely ignored me, took control… Do you have any idea how that made me feel? Like a bloody puppet! I can’t work with you if you don’t behave and follow my lead, Zeth!”
“The bastard groped your ass,”I growl.“How dare he touch you like that? You’re under my protection, and I won’t let anyone violate you.”
She groans in frustration.
“I’m okay, you idiot. That’s how assholes behave. I’m supposed to be a seedy character myself, not some prim little virgin who can’t handle being groped. This is the world I’m infiltrating. I have to blend in.”
She stomps all the way to where she parked the car.
“I’m sorry,”I say.
Wren doesn’t answer me, just keeps walking.
She gets in the car and starts the engine, driving in complete silence. I don’t try to talk again, because I can feel her anger radiating through our connection. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Damn it. I really messed up.
Chapter Ten
Wren
“Out! Now!”
I yell at him the second we’re back in the motel room. I don’t wait for him to respond and don’t give him time to argue.
Zeth pours out of me like liquid, and I shudder at the strange sensation. He reforms a few feet away, his charcoal-gray body solidifying into his humanoid shape.
“Wren, I’m so sorry–”
“Just go into the bathroom so I can change,” I cut him off. “Come back out in ten minutes.”
His shoulders slump, his body curving inward like I’ve physically struck him. He doesn’t say another word, just walks to the bathroom and closes the door behind him with a soft click.
The room feels bigger without him in it. I stand there for a moment, breathing hard, trying to calm the anger still racing through my veins. Then the guilt hits me. I essentially just put him in time-out like a child, sent him to his room to think about what he did.
But what he did at the club was unacceptable. He took control of my body without my permission and made me grab that guy’s wrist and squeeze until I felt his bones grind together. His actions forced me to cut the visit short, made people stare, and nearly caused a scene. I’d told him we needed to lie low, and he was about to start a fight in the middle of a club filled with criminals. I can’t let that slide, even if I feel like garbage for treating him this way.
